Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XVI CHAPTER XV

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 CHAPTER XV
 
 How Sir Colgrevance fought against Sir Lionel for to save
 Sir Bors, and how the hermit was slain.
 
 
 THEN he said to Lionel:  Ah gentle knight, have mercy
 upon me and on thy brother, for if thou slay him thou
 shalt be dead of sin, and that were sorrowful, for he is
 one of the worthiest knights of the world, and of the best
 conditions.  So God help me, said Lionel, sir priest, but
 if ye flee from him I shall slay you, and he shall never the
 sooner be quit.  Certes, said the good man, I have liefer
 ye slay me than him, for my death shall not be great
 harm, not half so much as of his.  Well, said Lionel, I
 am greed; and set his hand to his sword and smote him
 so hard that his head yede backward.  Not for that he
 restrained him of his evil will, but took his brother by the
 helm, and unlaced it to have stricken off his head, and
 had slain him without fail.  But so it happed, Colgrevance
 a fellow of the Round Table, came at that time thither as
 Our Lord's will was.  And when he saw the good man
 slain he marvelled much what it might be.  And then he
 beheld Lionel would have slain his brother, and knew Sir
 Bors which he loved right well.  Then stert he down and
 took Lionel by the shoulders, and drew him strongly
 aback from Bors, and said:  Lionel, will ye slay your
 brother, the worthiest knight of the world one? and that
 should no good man suffer.  Why, said Lionel, will ye
 let me? therefore if ye entermete you in this I shall slay
 you, and him after.  Why, said Colgrevance, is this
 sooth that ye will slay him?  Slay him will I, said
 he, whoso say the contrary, for he hath done so much
 against me that he hath well deserved it.  And so ran
 upon him, and would have smitten him through the
 head, and Sir Colgrevance ran betwixt them, and said:
 An ye be so hardy to do so more, we two shall meddle
 together.
 
 When Lionel understood his words he took his shield
 afore him, and asked him what that he was.  And he told
 him, Colgrevance, one of his fellows.  Then Lionel defied
 him, and gave him a great stroke through the helm.
 Then he drew his sword, for he was a passing good
 knight, and defended him right manfully.  So long dured
 the battle that Bors rose up all anguishly, and beheld [how]
 Colgrevance, the good knight, fought with his brother
 for his quarrel; then was he full sorry and heavy, and
 thought if Colgrevance slew him that was his brother he
 should never have joy; and if his brother slew Colgrevance
 the shame should ever be mine.  Then would he
 have risen to have departed them, but he had not so
 much might to stand on foot; so he abode him so long
 till Colgrevance had the worse, for Lionel was of great
 chivalry and right hardy, for he had pierced the hauberk
 and the helm, that he abode but death, for he had lost
 much of his blood that it was marvel that he might stand
 upright.  Then beheld he Sir Bors which sat dressing him
 upward and said:  Ah, Bors, why come ye not to cast me
 out of peril of death, wherein I have put me to succour
 you which were right now nigh the death?  Certes, said
 Lionel, that shall not avail you, for none of you shall bear
 others warrant, but that ye shall die both of my hand.
 When Bors heard that, he did so much, he rose and put
 on his helm.  Then perceived he first the hermit-priest
 which was slain, then made he a marvellous sorrow upon
 him.